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As a traveler, I am a proud member of Team Carry-On. Every time I fly, whether it’s for a few days or a few weeks, I try to fit everything into a carry-on bag.

However, there are many others who prefer to check bags.

Whether you’re with me on Team Carry-On or you’re Team Checked Baggage, regardless of the size of your suitcase, some universal tips can be helpful when packing.

Read on for TPG’s best general packing tips.

General packing tips

Organization hacks

Packing cubes are a popular topic of discussion here at TPG. Some of us, including TPG editorial director Summer Hull, say they’ll “change your life.”

As a mother of two who travels nearly 100,000 miles annually, Summer recommends using cubes for family packing. Everyone uses it specifically to divide packing by activity and day instead of using a cube for all their things.

If you want to get started with packing cubes, Summer’s Favorite is a $68 five-pack from Calpak.

She loves these for their “thick mesh and polyester material that has held up exceptionally well on our theme park trips, ski adventures, cruises and beyond.” She also notes that they have survived multiple rounds of heat in the dryer with no noticeable effects.

“Plus, the cubes have waterproof pockets that you can use to keep wet or particularly dirty items separate from the rest, meaning that last morning’s jump in the pool won’t leave your whole bag a bit dry,” she reports. .

The great thing about packing cubes is that you can use them to organize your items in any method you choose. For example, TPG managing editor Madison Blancaflor likes to divide her items into packing cubes by type (tops in one, bottoms in another, for example).

“Packing cubes, packing cubes, packing cubes is my number-one tip,” she said. “Not only do they help you fit more stuff in, but they help you stay organized when you’re traveling.”

It also suggests placing some objects inside others to save space in each cube, known as “nesting”.

“It’s helpful to know how to nestle things—putting your belt on the outside edges, fitting socks inside your shoes, putting underwear inside bra cups, etc.” Madison said. “Those little space-saving things add up to a lot more space by the end of it.”

Another tip to help you stay organized while packing is to color your outfit, by Erica Silverstein, managing editor of TPG.

“I try to coordinate outfits and pack pieces that I can dress up or down to minimize the number of shoes I need to bring,” she shared. “For example, I can wear a top with a skirt at night and then with jeans the next day.”

Another space-saving tip that I’ve been practicing for a few years is folding clothes instead of rolling them, a technique I learned from my aunt.

How to keep your clothes wrinkle free

An unavoidable issue I always seem to have is preventing my clothes from wrinkling when packing. I have long placed tissue paper between articles of clothing – my mother’s trick.

Although this works to an extent, some people recommend using plastic dry cleaner bags to protect your clothes from wrinkles. Essentially, you pop one item into each bag and then fold them all over the top of your bag. The bag prevents friction and thus prevents your clothes from getting wrinkled.

Tips for packing carry-on only

One of my favorite features Away carry-on is a built-in battery pack, because I know I’ll always have access to a charger for my phone if needed.

I always advise travelers to keep a portable charger in their carry-on. You never know when you might find yourself at an airport or on a plane without a charging port.

During the holiday travel season, many of us may be packing winter clothing items. Whether you’re jetting off to a chilly destination or hitting the ski slopes, TPG Senior Editor Christine Gallipeau reminds us to pack those heavy items instead of taking up precious packing space.

“I wear my biggest things, which usually in the winter means jeans, my thickest coat and boots,” she said. “That way, I don’t have to use up valuable carry-on space for them because I never fly with a checked bag.”

The bottom line

When you board your next flight, keep these simple packing tips in mind.

Whether you’re trying packing cubes for the first time or rolling your clothes instead of folding them (or both), these tips should make packing a little less stressful while saving you space, which is the ultimate goal.

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